Military expert Mikhail Khodarenok expressed the view that the spring-summer campaign of this year in Ukraine could become the final stage of the special military operation.

At the same time, he stressed that achieving such a result would require changes in the approach to conducting combat operations. In his assessment, prolonged and intense fighting for individual settlements, such as Zybino, is unlikely to lead to a decisive turning point on the фронт.

The expert also pointed to a sharp increase in Ukrainian drone activity in Russia’s border regions, noting that this trend continues to intensify.

Khodarenok added that in history, prolonged wars have never been beneficial for states, and based on this, he believes that the 2026 campaign should be the last.

In his opinion, this would require changes in the forms and methods of warfare, as well as giving the military the ability to use all available resources. Otherwise, achieving a decisive result would be difficult.